Julia Stiles talks about starring in 'The Makeover'

January 25, 2013 5:52:13 PM PST

Jennifer Matarese, Eyewitness News

NEW YORK --

Julia Stiles leads the all-star cast of this Sunday's Hallmark Hall of Fame movie "The Makeover" on ABC.

Stiles spoke to 7online about what drew her to the part, what it was like working with the talented cast, and also talked about playing a supporting part in the Oscar nominated film "Silver Linings Playbook".

In the film, Hannah Higgins (Julia Stiles) is a smart, driven education consultant. She's so driven, in fact, that she runs for Congress to advance the cause of education reform. But Hannah is not a likable candidate, as her elitism turns off Boston voters big-time. However she and her business partner, Colleen Pickering (Camryn Manheim), don't give up easily, and in the next election they recruit a candidate who definitely is a man of the people, beer vendor Elliot Doolittle (David Walton).

Elliot, whose thick South Boston accent masks considerable intelligence, is the polar opposite of prim and proper Hannah. His mother, Allie (Frances Fisher), is the very definition of "a piece of work," as is his sister Bonnie (Georgia Lyman). Nevertheless Hannah takes Elliot on as a modern-day "Pygmalion" project. If she can just teach him to speak like gentleman, dress like a gentleman, comport himself like a gentleman, why, he might become a gentleman, one who can run for Congress and win.

Though these two are about as oil-and-water as any two people can be, oddly as Elliot becomes more "presentable," Hannah becomes less "proper." Could this be a match made in electoral heaven?

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